The Voyager's Daughter
by Writer for Fun
Summary: Phineas has often said that smart kids give him a pain. There's a reason for that and it's just interrupted in a major way. Drake's threatening Jeffrey and Phineas needs to figure out how to keep his partner/son safe. Meanwhile, he's still got that pain in his stomach. Rated T for implied violence and mild language.
1. When Pulled Out of Time

**General Disclaimer: I wish I owned Voyagers as an entity. Sadly, I do not. I will, however, play in their sandbox and screw with things. I'm not making any dosh over this so I'd really like it if no one would sue me. **

**Author's Note: Did you ever have a narrative start running through your head that just would NOT leave you alone? That's what happened here and I haven't seen Voyagers in a long time. I used to catch it on Me-TV out of Pittsburgh a couple years ago and I loved the show when I was a kid but good grief, to just start hounding me outta nowhere? Definitely weird but then again so am I. :) I have another writing account but decided to put this up here since I don't know how dark it may be. Hope you enjoy. **

* * *

Phineas and Jeff raced through the Cosmos after getting the signing of the Magna Carta back on track. This time, however, the automatic setting on the Omni wasn't hurling them toward another crisis in history. After an uncharacteristic soft stop, they found themselves standing in the arrival center of Voyager Headquarters. Not much looked like it had changed. There was an odd mixture of past and present in every spot of the Voyager building. This area looked more Star Trek meets Steampunk than other places but the feeling that things were very different than anyplace Jeff had been before was the same.

"Bogg, what happened?" Jeff asked. "Why are we here? You don't think we're in trouble for anything, do you?"

"Welcome home, Voyagers," Professor Garth said before Phineas could answer. "No, Young Man, you are not in any trouble."

"So why are we being pulled out of service?" Bogg asked the elder gentleman who looked tired and worn out. He was also walking with a cane. That was new. "We're not due for evaluation yet."

"It's rather difficult to explain," Garth replied. "Perhaps you'd like to come up to my office for some tea and we can talk."

They walked through the corridors of headquarters and Jeff noticed a lot of officers in uniform around. He wondered if there was still a lot of corruption or if something else was going on. His eyes locked with one of the large men who looked fierce and stern. After a brief second, the man offered him a smile and even saluted him as he passed.

Professor Garth's office looked exactly what Jeff thought a teacher's office should look like. There were bookshelves from floor to ceiling and he had five globes turning at different speeds. Occasionally, there was a flash of light on one of the globes and a ticker printed out a slip that fell into a box beneath it.

A plump, middle aged woman wearing a gray Victorian era dress and apron entered with a tea service with sandwiches and cakes that instantly made Jeff's mouth water. She poured cups and took instructions on how each took their tea and handed the young boy a plate. Bogg gave him a slight nod and he tucked into the sandwich eagerly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Bedford," Professor Garth said, taking his cup. "How is our patient?"

"No change, Professor," the woman replied. "It's the same as before."

"You may go," he dismissed her as he looked grave. She shut the door she came through with an audible click.

"Is someone sick?" Jeff asked after swallowing his mouthful of food.

"In a manner of speaking," Professor Garth began, "In the aftermath of Drake's treachery, some very disturbing things have been discovered. He hurt a lot of innocent people in his quest for greatness. Some of this business is very bad and even a boy as bright and clever as you are, Jeffrey, should not be subjected to its ugliness. He's hurt someone very close to Phineas and myself."

"So I've been brought back to deal with that, have I?" Bogg asked. He had a suspicion about who he was there for and it gave him pains in his gut. He couldn't stand that person. He let out a low groan. "I thought I made it clear enough last time that I wanted nothing to do with it. I didn't have much sway against bringing her here in the first place and I don't particularly want to revisit the situation now."

"I thought that given the severity of the case, you might change your mind," Garth replied. "She isn't responding to anyone else, not even Olivia who was one of her dearest friends."

"Who are you talking about?" Jeff asked. "Another Voyager?"

"It's no one," Bogg said. "Thanks for the tea, but we need to get back to work. C'mon, Jeff."

"You're going to turn your back when she needs you most?" Garth said. "I've considered you as one of my favorites, Phineas, and I know you were upset when you were first told but this isn't the time for you to be selfish. Emilia needs you."

"Who's Emilia? Another girlfriend?" Jeff asked with a dramatic roll of his eyes.

"Never!" Bogg replied emphatically. "She is a hateful little pit viper and never should have been brought here."

"She's a sweet girl when you get to know her, Phineas," Garth said. "If you'd only try. She's your daughter, after all."

"Woah, you have a daughter?" Jeff asked, astonished. "You never said that."

"Well, I didn't know it until she was thrust on me here and I'll be damned if I'll take the blame for how the little rat turned out," Bogg answered. "We're going. I don't want you within a hundred miles of that hateful bit..."

The door opened quickly and Mrs. Bedford rushed in. "I'm sorry, Professor, but you're needed. She's trying to break the window again, Sir."

Professor Garth rushed out and Bogg took out after with with a rushed warning for Jeffrey to stay put. The corridor went down to Garth's private housing. Mrs. Bedford produced a key and opened the door to a sparsely furnished room with a bed and sink as its only decoration. At the window, a girl was beating her already bandaged wrists and arms against a break resistant window to the point that she was leaving bloody streaks. She screamed unintelligibly.

"Emilia Marie Bogg!" Phineas shouted as he entered the room briskly. "What in the blue blazes has gotten into you? Knock it off!"

He struck her sharply on the rear, shook and spun her around roughly to see a battered girl only slightly older than his own partner. Both eyes were blackened and there were various swollen lumps and bruises on her face that spoke volumes of a brutal beating. He didn't recall her being so young before.

She screamed at him with a gaping, toothless mouth as she struggled uselessly against his superior strength. She then kicked him in the groin to force his release of her. Once he let go and dropped to his knees, she rushed past Garth and Bedford down the hallway. She stopped when she saw Jeffrey standing at the door.

"Pleathe move, Boy," she begged him. Her lack of teeth made it impossible for her to make an 's' sound. "They're trying to kill me. I jutht want to go home. Let me patht."

Jeffrey began to step aside when Garth, Bogg and Mrs. Bedford caught up with her and Bogg grabbed her around the waist and dragged her back to the room, fighting and swearing the whole way. He held her arm tight as Mrs. Bedford injected the girl with a sedative and within only a few seconds, Emilia stopped struggling and her head lolled forward as she slipped into sleep. Bogg put her onto the bed and let the nurse attend her patient's wounds. He watched in fascinated horror as she unwrapped the bloody bandages that exposed arms that were nothing but healing cuts and bruises. There was not a spot he could see that was not, in some way, damaged.

"What happened?" Bogg finally asked. "She's one of the tech trolls; not a field agent. So how did she end up looking like that?"

"Emilia disappeared during a special assignment," Garth said. "She never arrived at her destination. She was found almost a week ago by another Voyager and brought back with injuries and wounds so severe and depraved that no one of any age should suffer, least of all a child."

"Why?" Bogg asked. "And what does this have to do with what happened with Drake?"

"Because he sent word taking credit," the older man answered. "He couldn't get to you so he took his revenge on your blood relation and I believe he plans to go after the one person you really do care about."

"Jeffrey," Bogg said, suddenly realizing that he left the boy in Garth's study alone. He turned back to check and ensure that the boy was still there but found Jeff standing at the doorway to the room where Emilia was being treated. He was standing silently but there were empathetic tears on his cheeks for the girl he'd only just met. Bogg immediately went to the boy's side and gave him a comforting hug. "You okay?"

"She said you were trying to kill her," Jeff said, roughly wiping away the tears. "She begged me to let her escape."

"Even at the risk of being accused of favoritism, you doted on her when we were at the Academy," Bogg claimed, turning to Garth. "How can she be such an ungrateful cow as to accuse you of that?"

"She doesn't recognize me, Phineas," Garth said sadly. "She doesn't recognize any of her former companions as anything but enemies. I had hoped that she might at least recognize her own father."

"That was a strange thing to expect," Bogg replied.

"It was because I believe she was targeted to hurt you that he might have spared her memories of you. It's the kind of thing that Drake would take sadistic delight in to make sure she remembered the reason she was suffering," Garth answered.

"You could have dealt with this without pulling Jeff and me out of service," Bogg said. "There's a lot going on out there."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Garth said, nodding towards his globes. "One of her inventions. The activity has been on the uptick for months then about a month ago it started to slow. I'd hoped, rather charitably, that perhaps Drake had burned out his hatred for the Voyagers. His true intention, we now know, is to try and destroy the Voyagers entirely. Here is a copy of the letter he sent after Emilia was found."

Bogg picked up the multi page rambling manifesto that claimed everything from destruction of the Voyagers to his self-proclaimed title of Emporer Immortal over the entire realm. Then he came to the meat of the matter where Drake proclaimed Phineas Bogg as an Enemy of the State. He then went into a graphic description of the injuries visited on Emilia as precursor to his real target; the one person that Bogg protected and cared about. His adopted son, Jeffrey. The details of what he planned to do once he got his hands on the boy were... to say the least, disturbingly specific.

"We're gonna need a place to stay until this can get straightened out," Bogg decided.

"I'll arrange for quarters," Garth said.


	2. When Reality Hits

******General Disclaimer: I wish I owned Voyagers as an entity. Sadly, I do not. I will, however, play in their sandbox and screw with things. I'm not making any dosh over this so I'd really like it if no one would sue me.  
**

******Author's Note: This is the second half of what I've got written on this narrative so far. It's just coming to me in such odd ways that I hope it all makes sense. **

* * *

Bogg emerged from a dressing room wearing an official uniform. Jeff started to question it when he explained that Voyagers have ranks just like other military divisions but that owing to their unique branch, they only wore the uniform and were addressed by rank while staying at home. He explained that his official rank was Voyager First Class. The boy peppered him with questions until Bogg thought his ears might fall off. After they had a full dinner at the Officer's dining room and got back to their quarters, he sent the young boy off to get a bath.

"Bogg?" Jeff began as he sat on his bed in the room that they would share while they were at headquarters. He'd changed into the pajamas Bogg bought for him at the HQ Exchange since he was starting to grow out of everything he owned. They were exhausted from their travels and the events of the day still weighed heavily on both their minds.

"What?" Bogg replied as he motioned for the boy to put his feet under the covers as he tucked him in. It wasn't something that happened very often in the field but being in a place with real beds offered some little luxuries. Besides, he wanted to get the kid to sleep. He wasn't sure how many more questions he could take in one night.

"How come you never told me you had a kid? I mean, you always said you didn't like kids but that I was special. Why don't you like your daughter?" Jeffery asked as Bogg reached to turn out the light.

"She hates me so I hate her to even the score," Bogg said. "Thinks she knows everything and isn't afraid to try and show it off. She's got a mean streak a mile long. She's sneaky and manipulative. I don't like those kind of people, you know that. Now it's time for bed. Good night."

"She seemed really scared," Jeff observed. "Did you know about her before you became a Voyager?"

"Nope," Bogg replied.

"Are you going to go back and see her when she wakes up?" Jeff continued.

"I dunno, Kid. Go to sleep. No more questions, I mean it," Bogg warned.

Bogg slid the light into the off position and closed the bedroom door. Professor Garth's word had come back to him unbidden, '_...__brought back with injuries and wounds so severe __and depraved__ that no one of any age should suffer, __least of all a child__'._

He read the confession and knew what that meant. He could not fathom for the life of him how anyone could be expected to return to any semblance of sanity. The only thing he thought they could do for her would be to wipe her memory and put her back in time. He ran his fingers through his hair and went into the galley style kitchen for a glass of water. It was times like these that he regretted that he no longer drank. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

He checked the security camera and saw Susan standing outside. He opened the door quickly with a smile. "I didn't expect a visitor so late, but you're a welcome sight. Come on in."

"It's nice to see you too, Phineas," she said with a warm smile for him. "Professor Garth told me that you arrived this afternoon. I'm glad you and Jeffrey are safe. I wish the same could be said for Emilia. I understand you saw her this afternoon."

"Yeah, she was pretty violent and aggressive," Bogg replied. "They got her sedated though."

"I saw her this evening when I stopped by to visit," Susan said. "Poor thing's very confused but I think I was able to find the device that was used to alter her perceptions. Her workspace is a nightmare to navigate. The R&D department is trying to reverse the machine so that she will at least understand that no one here is trying to hurt her."

"How did you get pulled into all of this?" Bogg asked. "Did you keep in touch after graduation?"

"Not really," Susan answered. "She was always shut up in her office and I was always busy with a case. Kind of wish I'd taken the time now. Professor Garth has me looking into the legal ramifications of what was done to her since at the present she is in no condition to care for herself properly. While he's opened his own quarters to assist in an emergency, he's too old to take on the responsibilities of raising a fourteen year old; especially one that has no memories of this place and thinks everyone is trying to kill her."

"I still don't understand why Drake chose to go after her. His explanation didn't make sense. He could have used anyone to practice on. He, of all people, knows how much we despise one another," Bogg mused, sitting next to Susan on the sofa.

"And you don't think he had any small part in that either?" Susan suggested.

"I'm not sure I follow," Bogg replied. "From the very beginning she was trying to show me up, waving her grades in my face. He had nothing to do with that."

"Oh, Phineas, she wasn't trying to show you up. Emilia was trying to impress you; to show off to you so you would be proud of having such a smart daughter," Susan said with a small chuckle. "We all saw how she followed you around like a little duckling. Most of us thought it was cute. Don't you remember when it changed?"

"Yeah, she finally stopped badgering me after the end of first term. That's when the nasty pranks started," Phineas recalled.

"Right after you confronted Drake about cheating," Susan offered.

"He might be an evil son of a dung herder but you can't blame her natural nastiness on him," Bogg said. "Putting a full dozen rats in my bed... purple dye in my shampoo... glue on the tongue of my shoes so that my socks would stick to them, changing every third word in my second semester paper on the Russian Revolution to buttocks. It never ended."

"Most of those were childish little pranks that a father could have dealt with but instead you ignored her. That's when Drake started whispering in her ear how much you hated her," Susan explained. "It didn't take much persuading when you ignored her so much. She's a young girl."

"See, this is the thing. I don't remember her being that young," Bogg told her. "I remember a much more grown up person than the child in that room. And even if she was that young, it seems like years and years have gone by and yet she's only slightly older than Jeffrey. She should be at least twenty or more by now."

"It's only been two years since you left this time stream, Phineas," Susan said. "You know the different time streams make keeping track a nightmare but it really hasn't been that long."

"So tell me how Drake managed to get such a stronghold in the council in so short a time?" Bogg asked.

"His rhetoric pleased people and he was good at getting them to do exactly what he wanted. He had a great deal of help in setting up those Voyagers that he wanted rid of. The militia didn't just move in to keep you and Jeff safe from harm, you know. There are a lot of tribunals being held at the moment. This thing has rocked VHQ to its core," Susan explained. "Anyway, I am glad you and Jeff are not in the streams right now. Drake can't easily get to you here and there is a hit squad out looking for him. I doubt he can hide too much longer."

"I think I need to see Emilia," Bogg said, "but I can't leave Jeff. It's too dangerous. There's got to be more than what we know as to why he brutalized her that way and I think she knows, even if she doesn't know that she does."

"I can stay until you get back," Susan offered. She showed him a small pulse weapon she pulled from her purse. "We're all armed these days, just in case. He'll be safe."

"Thanks," Bogg said. "He should be asleep by now. I won't be too long and there's a guard in the hall."

Bogg left the quarters and stepped out into the crisp night air. They were only a short distance from the main building which resembled a sprawling old mansion and for all he knew, it once might have been. Professor Garth's private residence was attached to the building but had its own exterior door onto the grounds. There was a light on in the study so he hoped that his visit would not be too disturbing to his mentor.

The door opened before he could knock as the nurse was leaving. "Oh, good evening Voyager Bogg. The professor is in his study. Let me show you in."

"That's all right, Mrs. Bedford. I can see myself around. How is Emilia?" he asked.

"The surgeon came and stimulated the new teeth for her while she was sedated. Once the nerves attach properly, they'll feel as natural as her own and with the added benefit that she won't now need braces. As for anything else, only time will tell," the nurse said with a very formal politeness. Bogg wasn't sure but he didn't think she cared for him much. "Good night, Voyager."

"Good night, Mrs. Bedford," he replied as he went into the house. The study door opened up and Garth stood there with a glass of wine in his hand.

"I thought I heard you out here, my boy. Come in," Garth said. "I know you don't indulge any longer but perhaps a cup of coffee or tea?"

"After the day I've had, I wouldn't mind a small glass but that won't help with what I have to do," Bogg mused. "Perhaps just a glass of water."

Garth went to the sideboard and obliged the younger man's request. "I didn't expect to see you tonight."

"In all honesty, I wasn't sure I was going to come back at all," Bogg said. "I really only want to take care of Jeffrey and keep him safe. He needs me as his dad and I need him as my son."

"She needs you too, Phineas," Professor Garth told him. "Perhaps more so than ever before in her life."

"She kicked me in the groin, Albert," Bogg replied. He was always careful to use the professor's given name only when they were alone. Phineas hadn't wanted anyone to think he received special attention from his mentor.

"Em is confused. In her mind there are nothing but monsters around looking to hurt her," Garth explained. "Would you have done any less if you were trapped by enemies? Her memories of everyone she knew are quite damaged. I don't know that the madness will ever be completely cured."

"I want to talk to her," Bogg decided. "She had presence enough of mind to ask Jeff to help her. I think she can be brought to reason, even if it takes a good swift boot to the backside. Figuratively speaking, of course. She's too injured for the real thing."

"Be kind, Phineas. She's been through enough and her mind is fragile at the moment," Garth said. "You aren't well known for being a patient man."

"I will be calm, Albert," Phineas promised. "And I'm better than I used to be."

After he was handed the room key, Phineas went up the stairs and stood at the door to the room. Did he really want to do this? He really didn't like her very much. He stopped for a moment. Was that the truth? He didn't like her when they were at the Academy but he was so different a person then and Jeffrey had done so much in teaching him patience. Perhaps there was a chance that he could, at the very least, manage some civility between them once she was back to normal. Even he knew that friendly would never happen but he was willing to try some small compromise.

He unlocked the door and saw that the bed was empty and Emilia was standing in the furthest corner of the room with her back to the wall. She stared at him distrusting.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Bogg observed to her as he stepped in.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere nursing your bruised balls?" she shot back. "Who are you?"

"I know it's been a while but don't you recognize me?" he asked.

"Why should I?" she returned.

"Tell me, do you know what a Voyager is?" he asked.

"Of all the stupid questions," she sighed and shook her head. "Of course I do."

"Good. That's a start," he said. "You're back at Voyager Headquarters, Emilia. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, right. You guys tried that one before. It won't work again, Jackass," she spat.

"Watch the mouth, Girl," Bogg snapped. He then took a deep breath and continued. He promised patience, he reminded himself. He noticed the untouched food tray sitting on a removable stand next to the bed. "Why haven't you eaten?"

"I don't eat poisoned food," she answered.

"It's not poisoned, Emilia," Bogg told her. "You need to eat."

"You first," she suggested. "If you don't die, then I'll try it."

Bogg picked up the spoon and lifted the lid from the tray. Scrambled eggs and porridge were good choices considering she'd just had dental implants put in. He took a bite of eggs and then the porridge. "Satisfied? Now eat."

"Back away," she ordered. Bogg obliged and stepped back toward the door and she moved forward. She started to eat, carefully at first, then once she got a few bites in, she finished every drop on the plate and in the bowl. She could barely recall the last time she'd eaten where some cruel trick hadn't been played on her yet the man stayed away the entire time. Who was he, she wondered.

Once she'd finished eating, he made a few steps forward which cause her to jump away and rush back to her corner of safety.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. "I came here to talk to you. You said you don't know me. Are you sure?"

"I don't know you. I've never seen your face before today," she confirmed. "You kind of sound like someone though."

There was a glimmer of hope in Bogg's chest. She might start to remember yet. "Who, Emilia?"

"My..." she started and then shook herself. "It's not important. You're trying to trick me."

"Say it," he ordered. "Who do I sound like?"

"Phineas Bogg," she said, scowling. "But there's no way he'd be here or anywhere I am so it's just a trick. You can't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining."

"I said to watch your mouth," Bogg scolded. "I promised Professor Garth that I would be patient with you but I only have so much left tonight."

"Phineas Bogg wouldn't come to see me if you pointed a disintegration beam at his head," she said. She then cleared her throat. "I have to say, you're a lot better than the other delusions, at least. This little trip into the ether of my own mind isn't getting me anywhere but its been a pleasant way to spend an evening."

"This is reality, Emilia. It's Phineas. I am real and you have to accept that," Bogg insisted.

"You're not my father!" she shouted. "He got himself some better kid. A boy. He doesn't need me and I don't need him!"

Phineas closed the distance between them, grabbed her and gave her a shake. "It is me, Emilia Marie Bogg. You recognize my voice; I know you do. If you can't place the face, close your eyes and tell me that you don't know that it's me. Go on, close your eyes."

She closed her eyes and waited for him to speak.

"Emilia, you know in your heart that you are free of Drake. He can't get to you again," Bogg said and he watched her whole body began trembling. After a moment, she pushed him away.

"I'm going to vomit," she announced. She raced to the sink and proceeded to forfeit everything she'd just eaten while Bogg went to retrieve the night nurse.

"You need to leave, Sir," the nurse instructed. "My patient needs seeing to and your presence is too upsetting."

Bogg left and stumbled out into the night air. There was so much for him to take in and understand that it was impossible to absorb it all at once. He looked up at the full moon in the night sky and realized that he needed to get home to Jeff and let Susan be on her way. She was probably bored stiff with sitting there.


	3. When Time Gives You a Break

**General Disclaimer: I wish I owned Voyagers as an entity. Sadly, I do not. I will, however, play in their sandbox and screw with things. I'm not making any dosh over this so I'd really like it if no one would sue me. **

**Author's Note: The brain's still at it. I think it's stuck in the automatic mode. Can anyone tell me what sleep is like 'cause I haven't been getting any lately. If anyone can send me some feedback, I'd appreciate it. Am I totally sucking at this story or what?**

* * *

Jeffrey woke just as the sun peeked through the open sliver in the curtains. He felt like he'd slept more in one night than he had in weeks. That was one downside to Voyaging. At times, a body had to go on nothing but adrenalin and the knowledge that things needed to be fixed.

He was anxious to get out and see more of the grounds that make up the Voyager base. He overheard one of the guards talking about a movie center that could play almost any movie ever made. He was hoping that they might get to see what movies came out after he left 1982. There were a lot of other buildings and places that they might be able to see as well.

Bogg rolled over and squinted at the bright light in his eyes. He couldn't remember how long it had taken him to get his brain to lay off so he could sleep but it felt like hours.

"Nice day out today," Jeff announced.

"Wonderful," Bogg grumbled as he sat up and rested on his elbows. "So what do you want to do today?"

Jeffrey hesitated. He really did want to do all the things he thought about when he first woke up but he wasn't sure if Bogg would want to do any of those things. There were more important things going on at Voyager Headquarters than hanging out and doing silly kid stuff.

"What's the matter, Kid?" Bogg asked breaking into Jeff's thoughts. "You aren't sick, are ya? Maybe I should take you over to the dispensary to get a check up. Kids your age need inoculations right?"

"No, I'm all right," Jeff replied quickly. "I don't need shots or anything. I was kind of hoping we could look around today. Last time we were here, we never even left the courtroom."

"Okay, then I'll take you on the full tour. How's that sound?" Bogg answered as he stretched. "Maybe tomorrow we can get a pod and I'll show you the city."

"Pod? City?" Jeff questioned.

"Yeah, you didn't think that the base was all there was to this place, did you? There's a whole world out there, Kid," Bogg said. "I'll look into getting a leave pass and take you down to Arcadia City."

"What about Emilia?" Jeffrey asked.

"What about her?" Bogg responded, feeling that familiar pain in his gut.

"Aren't you gonna see her again?"

"Wasn't planning on it. I saw her last night. That was enough," Bogg told him. "Besides, I get the feeling I'm not well liked over there."

"Professor Garth likes you," Jeff countered. "And Susan hoped you'd make an effort."

Bogg quirked an eyebrow at him. "How would you know that? You were supposed to be asleep."

"I woke up and you weren't here," Jeff admitted. "So we talked for a little bit. Don't worry, she only let me stay up about five minutes. I thought that you'd want to see your real kid today."

"Hey, haven't we been through enough for you to know that you are my real kid?" Bogg asked. "I signed papers before we left last time, you know, that made me your official guardian."

"I know but..."

"No buts," Bogg said. "Emilia has her advocates and since she, Susan and Olivia were roommates back in our Academy days, it's understandable that Susan would want things to be different but they're not. Today will be just you and me letting loose and getting the chance to relax for a change. Let me get dressed and I'll order breakfast from the kitchens."

Jeff nodded and pulled on his new jeans and shirt that Bogg got him from the base exchange. Since they didn't often have to deal with kids, the clothes were a little loose on Jeff's wiry frame. He'd been growing lately so his old clothes weren't fitting so well anymore and even though he could get some things while they were Voyaging, it wasn't the same as having regular things to wear.

Once Phineas dressed, he staggered into the kitchen and ordered fried eggs, bacon, grapefruit, melon, and toast with jam along with orange juice, milk and a large carafe of coffee. It'd been a long time since he'd had a good, strong cup of coffee. After a few minutes, two trays arrived in the dumb waiter, one hot and one cold.

"Hey, Kid, come give me a hand, would ya?" Bogg yelled out. Jeff came in a moment later and took the cold tray while Bogg used a pair of oven mitts to grab the hot tray.

"There's enough food here for a dozen people!" Jeff exclaimed.

"That's one thing HQ never skimps on. There's always enough chow," Bogg said. "Dig in."

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Jeff made a strange face.

"Bogg, this bacon tastes weird," he said.

"Ah, they sent up the protein strips," Bogg observed. "Well, it tastes just the same as real bacon so eat it."

"It tastes like cardboard and charcoal," Jeff declared.

Bogg took a piece and bit a large chuck of it and started chewing to show the kid that there was nothing wrong with the food. He chewed a few times before he slowed, grabbed his coffee and swallowed hard.

"At least eat the eggs and fruit. Those are real," he said. "We'll hit an off base grocery for some real food to cook here in the room in the next couple days."

"How long are we gonna be here?" Jeff asked.

"No idea, Kid," Bogg said. "I guess until HQ gets Drake and how long that's gonna be is anyone's guess."

"I thought they couldn't track his Omni," Jeff recalled.

"That's what they said but who knows," Bogg shrugged. "Since it's Friday, I won't have to check in with Command Central until Monday so let's just enjoy the weekend. The two of us doing regular stuff."

Once they finished breakfast and sent the trays back to the kitchens, minus the fruit they stashed in their refrigerator unit, they headed out to explore the grounds. The base was a sprawling sort of estate that Jeff thought might have once been some noble person's property. He'd never thought of military bases as somewhere with lots of grass and gardens but Voyager Headquarters was different. There was some sort of park or garden near every building and after they'd walked for a while, they came to a large lake with boats that could be borrowed.

"It's a lot busier down here when the semester breaks," Bogg said. "Usually the place is filled with students blowing off steam but right now they're in the middle of the term so it's no time to skive off."

"I bet you came down here a lot, even when it was class time," Jeff said jokingly.

"Sometimes it was the only way of getting rid of..." he started then cut himself off.

"How old is Emilia?" Jeff asked.

"Fourteen, from what Susan tells me," Bogg answered.

"Why did they let her go to Voyager school if she was so young? I gotta wait and she got to go early," Jeff said.

"To tell the truth, Kid," Bogg replied with a nervous swallow. "I let them take her on. You gotta understand, when they first plucked me out of time; I was a different kind of person. I really didn't care much about anybody but myself and when they presented this kid and said 'she's yours'... well, that didn't sit so well. When they asked what I wanted done with her, I said I wasn't going to bother myself over it."

"That's kind of harsh," Jeff observed.

"Yeah, well, like I said, I was a different person," Bogg said. "So when they asked her what she wanted to do, of course, she said she wanted to go to school and be a Voyager too, so I signed off on letting her test. Her entrance scores were twice as good as mine, maybe more. If Drake wouldn't have cheated, she'd have been our class Valedictorian at the age of twelve. It bothered more people than just me, you know. Rob Davidson just about blew a gasket when she was picked for an R&D position straight out of school. Usually the tech trolls gotta work their way up through The Pits first."

"What are The Pits?" Jeff asked.

"Oh, that's working on transport vehicles and doing a ton of hard dirty work," Bogg told him. "Most everyone that wants to work in the upper levels starts there but Emilia didn't have to do that. It's never been confirmed but just about everyone knows that Professor Drake pulled some strings."

"So why do I gotta wait if she didn't?" Jeff asked. "I'm pretty smart too."

"I know, Kid, and I have no doubt that you'll do even better than she did but," Bogg started, steadying himself for the one thing he worried telling Jeff about more than any other. "When they made me your guardian, I refused to allow the early admission. I just wasn't ready to let you go yet. Besides, I think you learn more out in the field than in a library with your nose stuck in a book. I wanted you to continue Voyaging with me. After all, you're my kid. I guess I'm just selfish."

Jeff hugged Bogg. "I'm glad you are 'cause I like that we're together too. I don't mind waiting if that's the reason."

Phineas returned the hug. "That's a relief. I thought you might have been mad about that. Maybe I should get you a tutor while we're stuck here though. A Voyager might fix history but in order to do that, we also need to know about science, sociology, art, literature, languages and even social graces. Let's face it, I'm not the best person to teach you about manners."

"There's a lot more to this than I first realized," Jeff said.  
"Yeah and that's why there aren't any students down here right now," Bogg returned his attention to the lake. "I might not be able to teach you book stuff but I sure can teach my kid how to sail. Let's grab a boat."


	4. When the Past Catches Up to the Present

**General Disclaimer: I wish I owned Voyagers as an entity. Sadly, I do not. I will, however, play in their sandbox and screw with things. I'm not making any dosh over this so I'd really like it if no one would sue me.**

**Author's Note: Finally got this small (but important) chapter typed up after a hell week of work and dealing with my sick cat. Thankfully he's on the mend and back to his spoiled cat ways. :)**

**Enjoy this latest chapter. Let me know what you think. :)  
**

* * *

By the time Phineas and Jeff returned to the docks, the sun was setting and both were tired from the physical exertion that sailing required. Jeff learned how to tie several different knots and heard more terminology than he thought he'd ever remember. There were a lot more people milling around the beach of the lake and it looked as though they were about to start a small bonfire.

As they turned in their rental ticket and headed back toward the main center of the headquarters, Bogg asked, "What do you want to do tomorrow, Kid?"

"Something where I don't have to use my arms much!" Jeff declared. "I ache all over."

"It's good for you. Builds muscle," Bogg laughed. "Hungry?"

"Starving!" Jeff replied. "I could eat a horse!"

"I don't think they serve that in the dining hall," Bogg said with a grin. He noticed a group of young people standing outside of the gates of the compound which seemed somewhat odd considering the distance from the city. Perhaps the compound offered tours these days, he mused silently. As they headed toward the Officer's dining room, a messenger approached Phineas bearing a message with an invitation to dinner from Professor Garth. "You feeling up to dinner at Professor Garth's house?"

"Sure," Jeff responded.

They were shown into the study where Emilia sat quietly talking to the professor. She was still very bruised and battered and a neurological adapter was attached around her head as lights blinked on and off in sequence. When she was not injured, one could see the family resemblance between Bogg and Emilia easily with like hair and eye color. The greatest difference was that whereas Phineas was broad shouldered and muscular, his daughter was slender and the top of her head only came to his shoulder.

"I'm glad my messenger found you," Garth said. "I tried getting you through the base speaker system but apparently you weren't within hearing. I hope you had a pleasant day."

"Bogg took me sailing out on the lake," Jeffrey offered.

Emilia watched the visitors nervously as they came in and took seats nearby. She shifted so that her back was turned as far to the wall as she could.

"It's just me," Bogg said to her. "I'm not going to attack you or anything. You look a little less crazy today."

"You still look like a total scarecrow to me," she replied. "But I suppose when this pelican is completed, my perceptions will be umbrella. However long that might take is yet to be dragoned."

"You never did talk like a normal person but that made no sense whatsoever," Bogg told her.

"The neurological sequencer is still adjusting brain paths," Garth said. "We must allow that some phrases are going to be confusing."

"He's just badgering as he always did," Emilia replied to Garth. "It was silly to think it'd be otherwise. He's always liked being the idiot."

"You would get that phrase right," Bogg snapped back.

"Emilia, don't be unkind," Garth scolded gently. "Phineas is here for you. Let's go into dinner and have a civil conversation."

She restrained a snort of disbelief as Garth patted her hand in support. As they went into the dining room, Emilia looked at Jeffrey and said, "I remember you from yesterday. I hope I didn't soccer you too badly. I was a little out of my senses at the time."

Jeff shook his head. "No, I felt bad for you though thinking everyone was out to hurt you."

"Well, it's over now so it's nothing to worry over," she said taking her place on Garth's left leaving his right open for Phineas as guest and Jeff sat next to him on his right.

The soup was placed for them first, a cool gazpacho which was a good way to start after a long day of sailing, in Jeff's opinion.

"So what brought on the invitation to dinner?" Bogg asked.

"I have made a few important decisions that I'd like to discuss with you after dinner and I thought you should see the progress made today when things were looking so dire," Garth explained.

"Well, I figured you'd handle things but it looks like things are going well and as soon as Drake is caught, Jeff and I can get back in the field," Bogg said. He noticed that Emilia's hands shook when he mentioned her attacker's name. She quickly set her spoon down before she dropped it and he turned his attention back to Garth.

"Yes, I suppose so but we'll discuss that after dinner," Garth nodded. "What I wanted to talk about this evening was pertaining to my legacy here at Voyager headquarters."

"Are you ill?" Emilia asked quietly, looking concerned.

"I am an old man," Garth said with a smile to the girl. "As you know, my father founded the Voyagers over a hundred years ago now. They dreamed of the potential this place would have. They even sent their sons out as the first Voyagers."

Emilia smiled. "This is day one class material, Professor. We learned your history before any other."

"One thing I've never divulged was that when we first started, there were no codes governing our behavior," Garth continued. "There were no prohibitions against becoming involved with people in time. I made the grave error of allowing my passions to override my senses a couple of times. I was a young man then so it was hardly surprising. I did not know it at the time but in the late seventeenth century, on a beautiful tropical island, I left behind a son behind. One who never knew his father."

The roasted beef and vegetables were served as they continued talking. The servers placed the food quickly and left them to what was very obviously a serious discussion.

"That describes a lot of kids of the time, Professor," Bogg replied. "Heck, I didn't know my father."

"I know," Garth answered.

The table was quiet for a moment when Jeff asked, "Are you really Bogg's dad? Why don't you have the same name?"

"I am," he began before continuing his explanation. "I used an alias while traveling. You can imagine my surprise when not just a young man bearing that name arrived but his daughter at the same time."

"You never said anything," Bogg said. "Why?"

"Because I wanted you to advance on your own merits. I thought it would make things tougher on both of you if the relation were to be divulged," Garth sighed. He looked tired.

"Professor," Emilia said, sympathetically. "It must have been terrible to shoulder such a burden on your own."

"I did what was needed, my dear," he replied. "But I can no longer manage as I used to."

"So you are sick," Bogg said.

Garth nodded. "I had hoped that I might be able to give you another year before I made the proposition regarding my legacy but in light of all this recent bad business; I don't think it can be delayed any longer. My son, my position in the Voyager Council is yours when I am gone. I would like to see you all as a father to Jeffrey and Emilia."

"That's a sweet sentiment but I'm no longer in need of a parent," Emilia declared. "Besides, I outrank him."

"As an officer, maybe, but you're still a child," Bogg said. "My child."

"You're only two years older than me," Jeff interrupted, "And I don't think I'm gonna be done needing Bogg when I'm fourteen."

"I don't need what I never had," Emilia countered. "Besides, I'm going to be fifteen in another two months."

Garth put up a hand to forestall any further argument. "He's right, my dear, despite your extraordinary intelligence and maturity, you ARE still a child and as I see it; a parent is the one thing you need perhaps more than anything else."

"I have my own place," Emilia told him, as she turned off the machine around her head. She didn't want any misinterpretations owing to a medical device. "I have managed to live on my own for two years while never once being late for work. Not even missing a single day until... I don't even know many 'adults' that have managed that. I can take care of myself. This... incident isn't going to dissolve everything I've worked for the last two years."

"Emilia," Garth said, "You were only able to have the job and apartment because I secretly signed off on the permissions. They can just as easily be retracted. You have been grievously injured. The wounds aren't all physical and I think you know that, being the smart girl you are."

"I don't have space for both of them in the quarters that were assigned," Bogg said. "There's only the one bedroom."

"Near the south gates, there is a house. It's a three bedroom cottage that would accommodate all of you easily enough," Garth said.

"What about my job?" Bogg asked. "I don't know that I'm good for much more than field work and I haven't finished teaching Jeff the ropes yet."

"I'm not forcing you to retire from field work, Phineas," Garth said. "Only asking you to consider some alternate arrangements until Drake is found and brought to justice. The danger to yourself and to Jeffrey is too great for you to return at the moment. It will also give you time to get to know your daughter away from interfering classmates, whether well meaning or malicious as they were. As for future work, there is always getting to learn the ins and outs of the position in the Voyager Council that will be yours when I pass on."

"I have to think about a few things," Bogg said setting his fork aside. "And get a look at the house. This was a lot to lay on a guy, you know."

"I know, Phineas," Garth said. "I did not mean to place so heavy a duty on your shoulders so soon."


	5. When Hate Comes Home

**General Disclaimer: I wish I owned Voyagers as an entity. Sadly, I do not. I will, however, play in their sandbox and screw with things. I'm not making any dosh over this so I'd really like it if no one would sue me. **

**Author's Note: I finally got to work on this today and here's the next chapter. I hope it reads a little better than the last. That's what I get for trying to write late at night after being up all day. I do intend to go back and fix it but I wanted to get this latest chapter up first. It's pretty serious and not filled with many warm, fuzzy moments but it was essential to moving the story along. Let me know what you think and leave a review. Thanks. :) **

* * *

Emilia stood at the door to Phineas and Jeff's apartment debating whether or not to ring the bell. It had been almost a week since Professor Garth told the truth about his relationship to the Boggs and Phineas hadn't shown up at the Professor's home again. She wanted to talk to him but had no idea of what to say. First, she thought that she could have used the excuse that she wanted him to sign off on her returning to work since Garth was steadfastly refusing to do so. It wasn't really why she wanted to talk to him though. But what could she say? That she understood how he felt? She couldn't because she didn't. He rejected her when it was their own situation. She couldn't tell him what her own heart felt because she was so torn between wanting his approval and hating him for not giving it himself.

"Miss," the soldier on duty interrupted her thoughts. "They tend to answer the door best when you push the button."

She stood there a moment before retreating back down the stairs and out across the courtyard. There were plenty of people starting their days and walking to their base assignments. She started out with a quick walk but sped up to a run in short order. She needed to get away and think. She headed for the north woods away from the base housing without plotting a course or destination.

"Stupid, stupid girl," she cursed herself. "Of course he doesn't like you. Who does? Miserable, hateful thing."

Emilia finally came to a stop, out of breath and emotionally overwhelmed as she slumped down next to a tree and drew her knees up to her chest and buried her head in her arms. She hated having feelings since all they ever seemed to do was hurt. She liked things best when she was left in her work space to fix problems and make new things for the Voyager field agents.

_'At least for that, people appreciate what I do; even want me around. If I don't have that, then what good am I to anyone at all?'_

"Poor little thing," a hard, uncaring voice taunted in her ear quietly. She jumped up and faced Drake who was sneering at her. "Your daddy doesn't love you and your mother tried to kill you. There really is no one that cares about you but I must say, you served your purpose. Now there's no more use for you and you're going to get in my way."

Emilia took off at a run back toward the barracks but Drake was faster and stronger as he tackled her. "Trying to get away? Naughty girl, you'll have to be punished."

She drew her knee up into his crotch that caught him off guard for a moment and she again tried to run back toward the inhabited part of the base. She was too far away for anyone to hear her screaming as he caught her and dragged her further into the woods.

* * *

"This better be damn important," Phineas grumbled as he shuffled out of the bedroom to answer the doorbell which rang several times in a row. "Haven't even had any coffee yet."

Jeff followed into the sitting room but unlike Bogg, he was already dressed and had been awake for some time. He'd been reading next to the window in the bedroom when the doorbell rang but Bogg told him not to answer it.

Susan verbally pounced as Phineas opened the door. "I just saw Emilia running from the building. What happened?"

Bogg had no clue what she was talking about and he answered with a grunt. "Huh?"

"Phineas, there's no reason she would have left in such a state if something hadn't happened between you," Susan said. "Just tell me about it."

"Maybe she came to see someone else 'cause Bogg was sleeping and I was reading," Jeff interjected.

The guard outside of the door cleared his throat. "She never rang the bell, Miss. Seemed to have something on her mind but left."

Bogg scrubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. He wasn't nearly awake enough for all of this yet. He couldn't figure out why he could be alert and ready at a second's notice in the field but back at the base, he wasn't ready to function yet. "She probably went back to Professor Garth's house. Let me put some clothes on and I'll go find out what the hell is going on."

Jeff followed him to the bedroom. "Want me to help look for her? If she was really upset, she probably didn't go home."

"Don't worry about it, Kid," Bogg said. "Stay here and read your book. I'm sure it's nothing. She's likely already back at home telling anyone who'll listen what a jerk I am. Still want to go into town later?"

"Yeah, if everything's okay," Jeff replied uncertainly. He wasn't as certain as Bogg seemed to be that Emilia would have gone home. He remembered spending a lot of time hiding out in his neighborhood after his parents died, especially when his aunt's boyfriend was around. He looked at the woods across the courtyard and thought that was where he'd have gone, if he was needing time to think. It was private and trees made good listeners.

He waited a few minutes after Bogg and Susan left to go to Garth's house before opening the apartment door and doing his best to look casual to the solider assigned guard duty. "So, do you have to be here every day?"

"At least until the outlaw Drake is captured and brought in for trial," the guard replied. He knew what the kid was up to and decided to nip it in the bud. "Voyager Bogg instructed that you are not to leave by yourself."

"I was just going to go out front to get some fresh air," Jeff sighed dramatically. "That can't be dangerous."

"Sorry, Son, I've got my orders. Best open a window if you want air."

Jeff slunk back into the apartment and closed the door. He doubted that he could make a successful run for it, if he tried the direct approach and being on the second story made it unfeasible to jump and not get hurt. Then he remembered the fire ladder that was stored in the box under the window sill. He pulled the rope ladder out and attached it by its hooks to the anchors in the floor. Once it was latched in securely, he tossed the ladder out of the window and descended before he got caught. He headed toward the woods quickly once his feet hit the ground.

* * *

Phineas and Susan walked briskly over to Garth's attached house. He briefly filled Susan in on the happenings of the last week but refused to discuss it much. "Let's just make sure she made it home. I promised to take Jeff into the city today."

He was starting to get a sick feeling in his stomach that something was wrong. He only usually ever got this feeling when Jeff was in some kind of danger but knowing that he was back in their apartment gave him some small relief on that score. He figured it must have been hearing that Emilia was upset about something but he couldn't imagine what it could possibly have been. Sure, they argued almost every time they saw one another but he hadn't even seen her.

Professor Garth stepped out of the house as they approached the walkway. He looked to be heading out for the day.

"Professor," Susan greeted. "Is Emilia in? We'd like to talk to her."

"No, she went out quite early this morning for a walk and hasn't come back yet," he answered. "I have a meeting to attend at the Academy so I'm on my way out. Is something wrong?"

Phineas' brow furrowed as the knot in his stomach tightened. "Why was she out alone?"

"Well, she's not a prisoner and she's been fairly well this last week that I saw no reason not to allow her some time to herself," Garth acknowledged. "Mrs. Bedford thought it best if we give her some freedoms that she previously enjoyed."

"I saw her leaving the base housing area this morning, Professor," Susan explained. "She looked very upset."

"What happened?"

"No idea, Professor," Bogg shook his head. "The guard said she left before ringing the bell. If she didn't come back here, then where would she have gone, do you think?"

"She's always been a rather private person but she gets the most enjoyment out of her work," Garth thought aloud. "Work I haven't allowed her to get back to. Perhaps she went to visit there. I have to attend this meeting but can you send word if you find her?"

* * *

Jeffrey worked his way through the woods listening for sounds that were not natural to the environment, such as a person crying. He looked for signs of disturbance of the ground and branches which he located after a short time where it looked like someone had scuffled and there was blood on some of the fallen leaves. Then he heard a scream that was definitely a girl's voice.

He moved as quietly and quickly as possible toward the sound of the screams as they continued. He spied a small clearing ahead and saw Drake kneeling over Emilia whom he'd overpowered. There were spikes driven through her hands into the ground to keep her from escaping whatever it was he was planning to do to her.

"Not so much fight left in you now," Drake laughed. "Still, it was fun while it lasted."

There was no time to go back and get help, Jeff decided; since she would likely be dead by the time they got there.

Without any time to formulate more than a basic plan, Jeffrey picked up a branch and rushed out hitting Drake in the head with all his might. The man slumped over his would-be victim but Jeff pushed him off as best as he could. He noticed a knife stuck in her gut as if Drake were ready to split her open.

Her breathing was shallow but Emilia finally managed to squeak out, "Get his Omni and flip open the small lid on the bottom. Panic button."

Jeff followed the directions and found the button on the bottom of Drake's Omni. It was definitely something their own didn't have. The resulting alarm was so loud that there was no way for it not to be heard even as far away from the base grounds as they were. He laid the device down and found some rope nearby that he used to tie Drake up with, using the knots that Bogg taught him. That way he couldn't get away or try to hurt them any more if he woke up.

"Help should be here soon," Jeff told her. "They'll fix you up back at the base. Maybe I can take the knife out."

"No," she said weakly as tears flowed freely from her eyes. "You're very brave. Please find him."

"I can't leave you," Jeffrey declared as he started pulling at one of the spikes until it gave way and pulled back through her hand with a spurt of blood.

"Please. I want my papa."

Jeff nodded and left the girl still partially nailed to the ground, running to find the edge of the woods so that he could bring both help and Bogg back to her before she died. Soldiers were descending on the area in force. Bogg and Susan rushed forward as Jeffrey called out to them. Bogg reached out to embrace Jeff but he pulled away.

"You gotta hurry. She's hurt really bad."

Bogg rested his hands on the boy's shoulders. "The soldiers are there now. They'll help her."

"No!" Jeff shouted at him. "She asked for you, Bogg! You gotta go."

It was easy to follow the trail back to where Emilia was and the scene was far more disturbing than Phineas expected. He felt the blood drain from his face when he saw her lying there bleeding, holes in her hands and a knife in her belly. He knelt down beside her and felt for a pulse, which was weak but there. "Emilia?"

"Sir, we need to move her. Please back away," one of the corpsman ordered.

"Em, it's Papa. Wake up," Phineas whispered softly and brushed the hair away from her face. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment and she smiled before she gave way to full unconsciousness.


	6. When Understanding Begins

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah... you guys know I don't own this already, right?**

**Author's Note: This is a really short chapter but I didn't want to leave the story hanging out here any longer without some kind of an update. We had a recent death in the family so the inspiration tank is pretty low while the exhaustion and stress tanks are filled to the brim. It's probably not my best work in the world but I hope you enjoy it anyway.**

* * *

Phineas hadn't moved from his chair at the hospital in hours and it was closing in on midnight. His back ached, his eyes burned and his head was throbbing as if the drum corps were practicing in there. Emilia had been brought up from surgery hours earlier but had yet to show any signs of waking. Jeffrey slept in the bed next to Emilia's in the ward. The boy exhausted himself from adrenalin and fear but he was physically unharmed. The doctor did, however, use the opportunity to bring Jeff up to date on his inoculations since being in the time streams did expose him to diseases he might not have antibodies against. He also suggested that Jeffrey stay the night in the next ward bed as Phineas didn't look as though he were leaving any time soon.

He hated the smells of hospitals. There was something unnatural about it and he wasn't finding it any more pleasant as he sat between the two kids. The night duty nurse stopped by to check on Emilia's vital statistics and Bogg nodded in acknowledgment. Jeff whimpered a little from a dream but a few soothing words sent him right back to sleep. He could only hope that his daughter would make some sort of noise to show she was coming back to life. It was strange. He never really considered her anything to him before but in the last week; his own mind started to betray him.

The reality was that he had a father, a son and a daughter. Without any effort on his part, he had a family. Jeffrey had been easy to love, even when he was not minding and insisted on doing things his own way. The boy became dear to him as they traveled through time together, fixing all the errors and misfires that happened in history. He got to understand that beneath those dark curls was a brilliant mind with a near encyclopedic knowledge of history, which came in damn handy after he lost his guidebook.

Then there was his newly discovered father, Albert Garth. When he was at school, Phineas never quite understood why the professor both favored him and rode him hard to do well. He loved Garth for it because he really brought the reality of Voyaging to life. With his recent confession, it made all the sense in the world but it must have been hard on the old man to keep such a secret and watch his son barely scrape through Voyager Academy. Of course, Garth had Emilia to counterbalance that.

Bogg had trouble getting past... well, the past when it came to Emilia but he had to admit that it wasn't entirely her fault. He was still a pirate when they first met with all the vices and foibles. He didn't even remember her mother since he bedded so many women. He was disgusted that he had a kid they were expecting him to deal with. After all, what good was a child to any self respecting pirate? Brown hair and blue eyes just like his and the first words out of her mouth were, "You're my Papa, aren't you?"

Seeing her now, he would give anything to take back the next words he said to her. "Don't call me that, Kid. I ain't your father."

Things didn't improve when Professor Garth gave him the news that he was indeed the child's father and that she'd scored eighty points higher than he did on the basic comprehension exams. Ultimately, he was told it was his decision if she was to join the academy or be taken to a child care center in the city. His understanding at the time only equated it to an orphanage and he didn't like the looks of those in his own time but he didn't want it to seem like he was taking an active interest in her either. All he said was "Do what you want. I don't care about her."

It was a mean thing to say to a little girl and, at the time, he was happy to see her enthusiasm doused even just a little. To his mind back then, a child, especially a girl, was useless. Now, as he looked at her lying pale and motionless in a hospital bed, he'd almost give anything to hear her call him 'Papa' one more time. The name worked to get her to come to in the forest.

"Emilia," he said softly, stroking her hair. It was one of the few places he could touch her that it likely wouldn't cause pain. "It's Papa. Wake up, please."

A weak groan escaped her lips as she licked them. Her lungs gurgled when she breathed. She tried to reach the nasal cannula feeding her a low amount of oxygen but he gently kept her heavily bandaged hand away.

"Don't," he whispered to her. "You need that. Are you in pain?"

She could barely speak but finally managed, "Yes. Is the little boy all right?"

Bogg smiled. "Yes, Jeffrey is fine though he might take offense at being called 'little boy'.

"He was so brave to risk his life to save mine, Phineas," Emilia said. "I can see why... you get along so well."

"Back to Phineas, is it? Jeff told me you asked for your Papa."

She looked up at him and sighed. "You can't hold that against me. I thought I was dying."

"You know, I might not mind it so much now," Bogg told her as he continued stroking her hair. She didn't say anything but the tears falling from her eyes spoke volumes to him. She was hurting and not entirely from the physical pain she was in. "I can't change the past, Emilia, but maybe I can do better for the future, if you'll give me the chance."

"You don't even like me," Emilia stated as if it were a perfectly acceptable fact.

Bogg shook his head. "That's not true. I don't even know you enough not to like you. Somehow you always seemed like just another adult in class, and one that was better than me. I didn't really understand that you were just a little girl. I talked to Professor Garth earlier this evening and he told me that the house was freshly cleaned and painted so it's all ready for a family to live there. I don't want to force you but I think it'd be a good idea to try it on for size."

She seemed to be appraising his sincerity, if he was judging her look correctly. "I will try."

Emilia was silent for a few minutes before she added, "I need to talk to someone in the city. Let him know I'm okay."

"A boyfriend?" Phineas asked.

"A very good friend who happens to be male," she clarified. "His name is Joel Bergstrom and he plays in a band called Rumors down at this place in South End. Elan's."

"This place wouldn't happen to be a bar, would it?"

Emilia rolled her eyes and sighed, "Technically, but they don't serve on Sundays which is when I go and listen. Can we talk later? I'm feeling kind of tired, Phineas."

"Go back to sleep, Em. I'll still be here when you wake up," Bogg assured her. She closed her eyes and before long, she was snoring.


End file.
